Alchemist Socratic Seminar Questions



Alchemist Socratic Discussion Questions

When possible, use text references to support your answers

1. What was the most valuable thing that Santiago gained from his journey?

2. What is the role of the hero in the hero’s journey? What impacts are the heroes intended to have on the reader?

3. In your own opinion, and if you had to choose only one thing, what is the only thing worth living for? What would Paulo Coelho say is the only thing worth living for?

4. Do we have more of a responsibility for ourselves or for other people? Why? Explain.

5. What was Coelho’s purpose in writing the novel? Do you think he achieved his purpose?

6. Are omens really out there and are they important? What are omens? Are they just illusions that we see to justify something we feel or want to do, or are they something more?

7. What was the point of the boy becoming the wind?

8. Does the simplistic and primitive style of this book add or detract from the main goal, what ever you think the main goal is? Explain.

9. The alchemist told Santiago "when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed." Why do you think this is? Why are people unlikely to believe a person holds treasure (literally or metaphorically)?

10. At the very end of the journey, why did the alchemist leave Santiago alone to complete it?

11. The alchemist tells Santiago "you don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is to contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation." With this in mind, why do you think the alchemist chose to befriend Santiago, though he knew that the Englishman was the one looking at him?

12. One of the first major diversions from Santiago's journey was the theft of his money in Tangier, which forced him into taking a menial job with the crystal merchant. There, Santiago learned many lessons on everything from the art of business to the art of patience. Of all these, which lessons were the most crucial to the pursuit of his Personal Legend?

13. What are some of the symbols that the author uses and what are the purposes for using them?  

14. What is at least one connection you can draw between this novel and Christianity? Other religions?

15. Is it possible to live a life without fulfilling one's personal legend? Is it possible to have multiple personal legends?

16. Why is it significant that Santiago finds his treasure back in Andalusia and not at the pyramids?

17. Do you think Santiago went back for Fatima?

18. Some critics have said that the novel is sexist in the way it deals with the female characters. What do you think about this?

19. Paulo Coelho once said that alchemy is all about pursuing our spiritual quest in the physical world as it was given to us. It is the art of transmuting (transforming) the reality into something sacred, of mixing the sacred and the profane. With this in mind, explain the main metaphor of the book: alchemy.

20. Just as, in the prologue story, the lake grieves for the dead Narcissus, the wind and the sun talk with Santiago about love, about their relationship to the soul of the world, and about how he can turn himself into wind. Do you have a personal relationship with any part of the natural world? Have you ever had an experience that you would describe as a “conversation” with some part of nature?

21. Write you own question to pose to the class. Base it on one of the quotes you have recorded, if you like.

Socratic Seminar: Participant Rubric

A Level Participant

•Participant offers enough solid analysis, without prompting, to move the conversation forward

•Participant, through her comments, demonstrates a deep knowledge of the text and the question

•Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes

•Participant shows, verbally and non-verbally that she is actively listening to other participants

•Participant offers clarification and/or follow-up that extends the conversation

•Participant’s remarks often refer back to specific parts of the text.

B Level Participant

•Participant offers solid analysis without prompting

•Through comments, participant demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the question

•Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes

•Participant shows that he/she is actively listeningto others and offers clarification and/or follow-up

C Level Participant

•Participant offers some analysis, but needs prompting

•Through comments, participant demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and question

•Participant is less prepared, with few notes

•Participant is actively listening to others, but does not offer clarification and/or follow-up to others’ comments

•Participant relies more upon his or her opinion, and less on the text to drive her comments

D or F Level

•Participant offers little commentary

•Participant comes to the seminar ill-prepared with little understanding of the text

•Participant does not listen to others, offers no commentary to further the discussion

•Participant distracts the group by interrupting other speakers or by offering off topic questions and comments.

•Participant ignores the discussion and its participants

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download